Blinis, Borscht, and Kebabs: Author Anya Von Bremzen on the Russian Foods to Expect at Sochi

by Tanya Steel

on 02/07/14 at 05:03 PM

Few people know Russian cuisine better than Anya Von Bremzen--of course, Vladmir Putin would no doubt take off his shirt and take exception to that statement. The author of five cookbooks, Anya wrote movingly and poignantly of her Russian background in her most recent book, Mastering the Art of Soviet Cooking: A Memoir of Food and Longing. (You can read more about that book here.) So, with the 2014 Winter Olympics upon us, we thought who better than Anya to give us the hobocn on the Russian food scene:

Epicurious: Give us a sense of what Russian cuisine is like today?

Anya Von Bremzen: It's a mash-up of old Slavic recipes for blini and savory pies, nostalgic Soviet-era hits like "herring under a fur coat" [a herring and vegetable salad], standbys from neighboring ex-Soviet republics like Ukrainian's borscht, plus all these globalized accents from the rest of the world.

Epi: How has Russian home cooking changed in the last few years?

AVB: With glitzy markets carrying a dizzying array of prepared foods, people cook less and less. On the other hand, there is a little locavore movement to counteract all the mozzarella and soba, so cooks are paying more attention to home-grown ingredients.

Epi: What about the evolution of the restaurant scene? I noticed a lot of sushi restaurants in Moscow and St. Petersburg when I was recently there.

AVB: Yes, it went through a sushi craze--still strong--but there are more and more personal chefy restaurants like Ragout in Moscow. And the cooking from former Soviet republics (now independent nations) is more popular than ever. Spicy foods from Uzbekistan, Georgia, and Azerbaijan in particular.

Epi: Finally, what will people be treated to in Sochi? Outside the Olympic Village, what type of food predominates generally? Is there a regional dish everyone should try?

I also expected much more than one recipe posted here. The link/tag line is deceiving and I was expecting to see how an American would talk about or give a recipe for 'herring under a fur coat', something most Americans wouldn't really like. There are so many good Russian dishes that would appeal to the American palate and be a good way to celebrate the games and find some good in Russia. That's exactly what I'm doing tomorrow night: making pelmeni, olivet salad, and cabbage salad with my friends so that they can see a little of the side of 'Russian food' that I came to love after living in the former Soviet Union for 10 years.

bjm310
08:02:13 AM on
02/12/14

I would have appreciated an article discussing Russian food, at length, with recipes to allow us to celebrate the Olympics.